1. Field of the Invention
Protective head gear and helmets.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the sport of boxing, the head gear is made of heavy foam padding or animal hair fill covered by animal hide or vinyl. In other contact sports protective head gear is of similar composition often with a hard, opaque helmet-like covering. The drawbacks of foam and similar shock absorbing materials are twofold. Firstly, they are opaque to light and secondly, they absorb forces in virtually one direction; said direction being the direction of the incidence force, the direction of the blow. In sports such as boxing and quarterbacking, or in aerial combat, it is most desirous to perceive the oncoming attack with an optimum of peripheral vision. The state of the art boxing head and football gear greatly impairs the peripheral vision of the wearer; in fact it is the primary reason that there is such great resistance of professional fighters to the wearing of head gear during actual contests. The participant can get hit needlessly while wearing the state of the art gear. This same head gear, because of its virtually unidirectional absorption of the blow, does not dissipate force with optimum efficiency. It is well known with the use of air bags in cars and water bumpers that a fluid can dissipate force in a very efficient manner.